§ 27. Mr. Bruce-Gardyneasked the Secretary of State for Scotland if he will instruct the Scottish Development Department to carry out and publish an investigation into the extent to which manufacturing industry operating in Scotland has been placed at a disadvantage in competing with manufacturing industry in England as a result of successive increases in hydrocarbon oil duties and vehicle excise duties since October, 1964.
§ Mr. Bruce-Gardyneis the right hon. Gentleman aware that Scottish farms which are further from their markets and from their suppliers than farms in England, will inevitably be more severely affected by the increase in licence duties and petrol duty? In view of that, will he give his support to the widespread demand in Scotland that now that the Minister of Transport has been forced to abandon the abnormal load charge, the wear and tear charge should be abandoned by the Chancellor of the Exchequer?
§ Mr. RossIf that were to happen, it would not affect Scotland beneficially, unless of course the hon. Gentleman is suggesting that there should be a differential rate in Scotland.
§ Mr. Bruce-GardyneWhy not?
§ Mr. RossI remind the hon. Gentleman that the burden is uniform. When we consider this against the known and quantified advantages which industry in Scotland have, for instance under R.E.P., Where £40 million a year comes to Scotland, we realise that the picture is quite different.
I further remind the hon. Gentleman that the Toothill Report found no evidence to support the contention that transport costs were a significant additional burden on manufacturing industry in industrial Scotland.
§ Mr. SpeakerOrder. We still have many Questions to deal with.